As A Man Thinketh by James Allen
Chapter One: Thought and Character
The aphorism, “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he,” not only embraces the whole of my being but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of my life. I am literally what I think, my character being the sum of all my thoughts. As the plant springs from, and could not be without the seed, every act of mine springs from the hidden seeds of my thoughts, and could not have appeared without them. This applies equally to those acts called “spontaneous” and “unpremeditated” as to those deliberately executed. Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits; thus, I garner in my own husbandry’s sweet and bitter fruitage.
I am a growth by law, and not a creation by artifice, and cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things.
A noble and Godlike character is not a thing of favour or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with Godlike thoughts. An ignoble and bestial character, by the same process, is the result of the continued harbouring of grovelling thoughts. I am made or unmade by myself; in the armoury of my thoughts I forge the weapons by which I destroy myself; I also fashion the tools with which I build for myself heavenly mansions of joy strength and peace.
By the right choice and true application of thought, I progress to perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, I descend below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and I am their maker and master.
Of all the beautiful truths about life which have been restored and brought to light in this age, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise and confidence than this – that I am the master of thought, the moulder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny. As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the Lord of my thoughts, I hold the key to every situation and contain within myself that transforming and regenerative agency by which I may make myself what I will.
I am always the master, even in my weakest and most abandoned state; but in my weakness and degradation, I am the foolish master who misgoverns my household. When I reflect upon my condition, and search diligently for the Law upon which my being is established, I become the wise master, directing my energies with intelligence, and fashioning my thoughts to fruitful issues. Such is the conscious master, and I can only thus become by developing within myself the laws of thought; which development is totally a matter of application, self-analysis, and experience.
Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and I can find every truth connected with my being if I will dig deep into the mine of my spirit; and that I am the maker of my character, the moulder of my life, and the builder of my destiny, I may unerringly prove, if I will watch, control, and alter my thoughts, tracing their effects upon myself, upon others, and upon my life and circumstances, linking cause and effect by patient practice and investigation, and utilizing my every experience, even the most trivial, everyday occurrence, as a means of obtaining that knowledge of myself which is Understanding, Wisdom, Power.
In this direction, as in no other, is the law absolute that
Matthew 7:7-11 New International Version (NIV)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
for only by patience, practice, and endless persistence can I enter the Door of the Temple of Knowledge.
EXCERPTS & HIGHLIGHTS
• A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
• Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits; thus, a man reaps the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own harvest.
• Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armoury of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace.
• Man is the master of thought, the moulder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.
• Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being if he will dig deep into the mine of his spirit.